Truth and Ideals
by 1caiser
Summary: Kai is a member of the Red guild Laughing Coffin, but he begins to have doubts regarding the guild's ideals and PoH's vision for a "utopia for the strong." When the guild's members stray from their original statement of being keepers of justice, Kai resorts to being on the frontlines, and fighting for freedom from the Death Game for all of the trapped players. Alternate Timeline.
1. Chapter 1

**__****Summary: ****__****Kai Socrius is a member of the Red guild «Laughing Coffin», but he begins to have doubts regarding the Guild's ideals and PoH's vision for a "utopia for the strong." When the Guild's members stray from their statement of being keepers of justice, Kai resorts to being a front-liner, and fighting for freedom from the Death Game for all of the trapped players.**

_**Alternative Timeline:**  
**-** Kirito is not the only known "Beater".  
- The FF is not Kirito centric, but he is a main character.  
- Heathcliff (Kayaba Akihiko) is not defeated on the 75th Floor.  
- Heathcliff is the Leader of the Knights of the Blood. (EDIT: Heathcliff will have to be the Leader. Apparently, his plot element is important to the story as a whole...)  
- The Ruby Palace (100th Floor) will be reached, and Heathcliff is the final boss.  
- The [FF] plot will coincide with both the SAO anime and light novel elements, but deviates from some interactions.  
- The remaining 8 Unique Skills will be revealed, but will be done so prior to reaching the 90th Floor (for some of them)._

* * *

**Truth and Ideals**

******Chapter 1**

******Disclaimer: «Sword Art Online» does not belong to me. Any elements pertaining to Sword Art Online belong to Reki Kawahara. **

******Anything that does not fall under this categorization belongs to me.**

* * *

A biting wind streaked down the outskirts of the city of «Panareze», striking my body through the flaps of the cloak wrapped around my body. It was nighttime, about 12:25 in the morning. This job was to be finished, however, if I wished to return to the guild and rest... until the next assignment.

_"We are the liberators for the weak."_

I casually lifted my right hand, fingers connected so my hand was flat, and cut the air in front of me vertically. A purple, translucent menu appeared before me, accompanied by the jingle of a ringing sound.

_"We are the advocates of justice."_

I tapped the icon of two portrait heads, the «Messaging» tab, and accessed my Private Messages. I viewed the latest one, at the top of the list, which was dated only several hours ago.

_"Panareze, nighttime hunting, Time-Governing Covenants guild leader, 'Farwell', Level 46. Two-handed spear user, short brown hair, leather armor. Usually accompanied by two or more guards."_

I glanced at my own level, it being 90 due to the strict leveling quota of the guild. A Level 46 «Beta Tester» was not going to be a problem.

_"We are the bane of the oppressors."_

The appearance of three green cursors appeared in my vision. I knew for a fact that my own cursor was orange, so I wore a hood to hide it in the case my avatar was focused on.

Otherwise, it was to bolster my «Hiding» skill, to blend in with the darkness. A parameter at my lower right showed a two digit numeric with one decimal value showing my visibility counter. With people in the vicinity, it jumped from three dashes to 99.9. It occasionally fell a decimal point or two, but that didn't stop me from moving from my position. According to my «Tracking» skill, the target, the Guild Leader, was twenty feet away.

_"We have the power to choose who stays in this virtual world forever."_

"With this last hunt, we can finally move to another floor with a better hunting ground. We'll be at the front lines by then!"

"Watch each other's backs. We've come pretty far."

Their faces came into view now. The leader, walking in between the two other players, was as described in the Private Message. The player on the left was a black-haired male with short curly hair, carrying a longsword and shield. On the leader's left was a blond-haired girl, a dagger resting at her hip. All of the damned information the broker gave was correct.

Three players, I mulled. That brings my kill count to 4. I focused on my target, who was walking down the path before me. T minus three second until engagement... Two seconds... One second...

_"We have the skills to act according to our mission."_

«Rage Spike»!

I drew my one-handed straight sword, «Jemmenai», and charged at the target. Apparently, the leader was able to back away from my skill out of reflex, and slowly drew his spear. "W-who are you?" When I didn't reply, his guards brought out their weapons as well.

Level 40s. This was child's play. What could this nobody possibly have?

"I'll show him!" the shield-and-sword wielder called. He bent forward before charging at me head on. His sword gleamed a bright orange in his raised hand.

«Meteor Break»!

The player slashed downward at me, which was an easy sidestep. His sword curved up again, which I used the Sword Skill «Slant» to bat the blade away. The sword exited the player's hand and ceased glowing orange.

_"We have the power to judge players for their actions."_

"Sellas!" cried the leader. Sellas tried to raise his shield to block my next strike, but it broke as Jemmenai came in contract with it. With the player disarmed, I raised my sword to my waist and twisted to the right. The system input recognized the Sword Skill pre-motion...

«Savage Fulcrum»!

Jemmenai cut a horizontal gash in the player's chest, and was knocked into the air by a second strike; a diagonal uppercut. As he came down, Jemmenai carved through his head, and his avatar promptly shattered into polygons. His bloodcurdling screams died down as I stalked toward Farwell, the guild's leader.

"Two more..." I whispered. I ducked low and prepared another Rage Spike. My blade gleamed a bright blue as I surged forward. My blade was deflected by the Leader's spear and my Sword Skill landed me several yards away from my target. I dug into my cloak and launched three «Throwing Picks» at the guild leader. Two hit their mark, one at the Leader's shoulder and the other at his waist. After a couple of seconds, he staggered to the ground.

_"All of you show promise in dealing justice toward the evildoers and the unfair."_

"You... wretched «Red player»..." Farwell cursed. "You gain nothing by killing players! You'll be stuck in this iron castle forever!"

"That's not my problem," I said as I walked over to the paralyzed player and lifted my sword. "This is the only thing that matters to me."

The sword hacked across the guild leader's back, revealing the orange wireframe beneath. Screams echoed from his mouth as Jemmenai cut gashes in his back. I finally tired of his hysterics and shoved my blade into his neck. The HP bar depleted to zero, and the screams disappeared with his avatar.

"Farwell...!"

I turned toward the sobbing blonde, who apparently had been hit by a paralyzing Throwing Pick in the wrist. Her rigid movements grasped at the fleeting fragments that flew into the virtual air.

_"Join me, brothers and sisters, and help create a utopia for only what is correct..."_

I felt sickened to my core watching this individual. The act of being able to touch a person who will never be within reach... a pitiful sign of incoherence and disbelief. This girl lost a person who was supposedly dear to her, while I never had a person close to me.

I spotted a silver band on her left hand's ring finger. She was the in-game wife of Farwell, I presumed. Seeing that set me off; I cut off the left hand of the girl and prepared a finishing Sword Skill.

"It can't be..." I finally heard her say before her head disconnected from her avatar's body. There was a brief fizzle, and then the shower of light-blue data fragments.

_"And the false shall be stowed away into the coffins of their rebelliousness. To laugh at their incompetence... that is the statement of «Laughing Coffin»."_

A Red player standing in the lonely wilderness... That was the image you have created...

Finished with the task at hand, I sheathed my sword in the scabbard at my left hip and reached into my cloak to pull out a blue crystal; the «Teleport Crystal».

I looked back at the city from where Farwell and his party came from. This path was empty once more. A murder in this «Death Game» was practically untraceable; all deaths were perfect deaths and left behind no evidence.

Nothing but the memory of myself committing the act.

"PoH," I said, "what did you wish to accomplish?" I looked into the horizon, where a few stars could be seen. Above my head was the underside if the next Floor, so it was obvious that one cannot see stars by looking straight up. "You say we are «advocates of justice»... but I feel conflicted by your ideals...

"Teleport: «Dorschia»." A blue light enveloped me and the gloomy night of the 24th Floor wilderness was eclipsed by that bright light.


	2. Chapter 2

**Truth and Ideals**

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: «Sword Art Online» does not belong to me. Any elements pertaining to Sword Art Online belong to Reki Kawahara.**

**Anything that does not fall under this categorization belongs to me.**

* * *

Rather than teleporting within the city on the «Teleport Gate», I was sent outside the western entrance, with a message appearing before me.

_Your avatar is currently marked as «orange». You are unable to enter the «Area». Instead, you have been teleported outside of the «Area», closest to the target you had wished to teleport to._

One of the downfalls of supporting this cause was to be rejected from inside towns and rely on the green Guild members to bring sustenance. To date, once someone has killed another player, there was no way to regain a green Color Cursor. I waved the message away and started walking due northwest.

The Headquarters of «Laughing Coffin» was situated inside the «Hasag Passage», a dungeon in the northwestern quadrant of the 5th Floor. There was one way to get to the cave: finding a secret door within the 5th Floor Labyrinth.

Trekking through the 5th Floor was treacherous in itself; those without a high-enough «Detection» level would succumb to the few, but deadly, booby traps that lay waiting for the unwary. I had nothing to fear, as the «Searching» and «Detection» skills were among the first skills I mastered. So much for a jungle inhabited by jungle trolls and the like.

The ground lit up with orange highlights as the Detection skill revealed the intricate roping of the snare traps and the hefted weights above the pitfall traps. The path I walked upon spared me any monster encounters, but the journey to the Labyrinth still took well over twenty minutes.

The looming Labyrinth entrance was overgrown with leaves and vines, requiring me to hack away at the thick vines before passing into the dank and dark corridors of the Labyrinth. A «Dark Troll» immediately greeted me with a battle cry and waved his black blackjack wildly. I merely unsheathed Jemmenai and cut down the monster under the white-pink Color Cursor in one system-unassisted stroke. The Battle Results showed no promising loot, and I waved the window away.

Because few players wished to trek through the jungle, only the Boss Raid members cleared the jungle. The traps left many solo players easy prey for the Troll monsters, usually because of a neglected Searching and Detection skill. And so, because of a lack of troops, the Clearers only provided enough map data from the entrance of the floor to the stairway. PoH forged onward into the fog of war and discovered a secret passage into Hasag.

I passed the stairway and followed the directions that PoH had given to me and all «Laughing Coffin» members. The "secret door" was a section of wall with an intricately lighted rune on it. I pressed my hand against the wall and the door moved away to reveal a rocky corridor, as opposed to the Labyrinth's walls of polished stone bricks.

I followed the map data through the dungeon, killing any monster that happened to cross my path. There was no reason in gathering their items, and the amount of money, «Col», they dropped was meager.

The end of the dungeon was marked with a rather large «safe zone» and ripples formed on the invisible wall as I entered the said safe zone. The main room was actually rigged as a portal that one of the Laughing Coffin members managed to exploit in a hole in the Cardinal System, Sword Art Online's management program. It has been nearly eight months since the formation of «Laughing Coffin», but the exploit seemed to be working as ever.

I tapped my glove and removed the material, revealing the tattoo of the Laughing Coffin on the back of my hand. It was a rather cartoonish design resembling a slightly open coffin with a gaudy, smiling face on it with a hanging, bony arm to the right of the design. All SAO Guild members were given an icon of the symbol of their Guild when a player focused a Color Cursor on him or her, but the system failed–or rather refused refused–to recognize Laughing Coffin as a Guild. And so, PoH hired a fellow orange player to create a design for the Laughing Coffin and emboss the design on all members of the guild on an article of clothing or on one's hand or arm. It was our way of showing affiliation with the Guild, even if the system did not recognize it.

There were a few more mechanic exploits that Laughing Coffin managed. The most common exploit involved placing members inside other Guilds, since we technically weren't part of a Guild. PoH didn't give every member a debriefing on the exploit matter, but «infiltrating other Guilds» and «Corridor Crystal exploits» seemed to be the most important.

"Corridor, open," I uttered while holding my hand out. The hallway before me rippled and I walked through the opened corridor. My vision faded into white before focusing into a torch-lit cave formation. Besides the number of players walking about, furniture was set on numerous «Vendor's Carpets», carefully placed so people could move about freely.

Two members were lounging on couches placed in the greeting room; one looked up and called out, "Kai's back. So the Time-Governing Covenants' leader has been exterminated."

I bobbed my head and made my way to the Mess Hall. The same meager servings from the past five days stood staring back at me. I took a tray without a word and selected a spot away from other Guild members. However, I was still able to pick up a few of their conversations...

"Some of these assignments were becoming stale for my skills..."

"Three days until my targets crossed my path..."

"There was this player with so much loot...!"

Meaningless talk. I showed no urge to join into how my assassination went. A Level 90 player killing Level 40s; it was almost overkill. The only recognition of the act will be the payment given for accepting the task. That wouldn't be arriving until in the morning.

10:48 PM Aincrad Standard Time; the same time as it was in the real world. People would be heading for bed at this time, or going out for some free farming. Most of our targets would be doing such activities, and the members would soon be heading out...

"That was amusing indeed...!" crowed an ecstatic Laughing Coffin member. My head turned away from my empty tray and toward a familiar figure in a sack mask; Johnny Black. "Rather than killing them myself, I allowed them to play a deathmatch game to see who got to live!" The news itself wasn't very intriguing, but Johnny laughed over the matter like a hyena.

"Who got to live?" asked a curious member.

"None of 'em! I killed the last guy! You should seem the look on his face when he got paralyzed! That was the point of the game!" Johnny cackled again, almost falling out of his seat.

I got up from my seat and headed out of the Mess Hall. The tray and bowl of food were fine without bring tended to, since they had a low «Durability» due to the continuous scrapping of the silverware and the inherently low Durability value to begin with. They would break on their own sooner out later. Exiting the Mess Hall, I turned due right toward the dormitories in search from the conflicting thoughts from Laughing Coffin's original goals.

_"And the false shall be stowed away into the coffins of their rebelliousness. To laugh at their incompetence... that is the statement of «Laughing Coffin»."_

I dumped my avatar on what was designated as a bed. However, it was only a mattress of hay covered by both covers; the model of a 14th Century bed as opposed to the mass manufactured beds of the 19th Century. Nonetheless, the bed was slightly more comfortable than the portable «Sleeping Bag».

_Knock knock._

"Who's there" I called.

"PoH."

I rise from the bed and opened the door, confronted by the large man who always wore a cloak. He had tanned skin and very broad shoulders. Despite his size, he was unmatched in battle, one of the perks of being skilled in the «One-handed Dagger». Contrary to the skill's name, his weapon, «Mate Chopper», had the appearance of a greatly decorated butcher's knife.

"Guild Leader," I said, bowing my body slightly.

"Good work on your last assignment," PoH said. "It greatly helps our guild to have a successful commission."

"You're welcome," I answered.

"Feel free to roam as you wish. However, try not to consume too many Teleport Crystals. I shall contact you should another assignment come up." With that, PoH left the threshold of my room, and I was alone once more.

_"It can't be..."_

I bashed my fist against the rock wall, reprimanded by an «Immortal Object» error message. At first, I believed I was doing good, relieving the player base of hoarders and the hated «Beaters». However, there no longer seemed to be any justice in killing other players. No, I couldn't say that, since I chose the path of a Beater ever since that fateful day.

The guild no longer served any purposes for me. I wanted to leave this place, but there was nothing for me to go to. Either way, I would still be eternally marked by the «orange cursor» and deemed a criminal on sight. Even the 4th Infraction Relief Quest wouldn't help dissipate this cursor of mine...

A humming sound from behind directed my attention toward my bed, only to be greeted by the bag of Col from the client. I walked over to the bag and tapped it, receiving the deposited amount if Col and one more item; a «Record Crystal».

The Col no longer meant anything to me once it fused with my money bag, and my attention focused on the crystal. I pulled up a stool and hunkered down on the desk and produced the Record Crystal. I topped a small button at the top, causing it to glow and start its recorded message.

_"Farwell's killer,_

_"I first want to thank you for eliminating Farwell. He caused the death of my teammates through Monster PK, and I'm happy he's no longer alive._

_"However, my happiness was short-lived. Even though he did not die of my hands, I personally caused his death through hiring you, of Laughing Coffin. The guilt of causing a man's death for revenge... it's indescribable, and I'm on the verge of killing myself knowing this revelation._

_"But I'm still trapped within Aincrad, and I wish to return home. I have potential of being a Clearer. So I can't die yet..."_

There was a pause.

_"If you still want to keep killing people, ignore me. If you want to get rid of that so-called orange cursor you got from killing a green player, then listen closely!_

_"My friends discovered an NPC on the 54th Floor about a quest that requires a permanent orange cursor. Numerous orange players who had committed minor crimes have tried starting the quest and failed. This particular NPC hides within the Labyrinth, behind a secret door. This quest... it could signal the revert of a permanent orange cursor! At the end of this message, the gift bag will have the mapping data within in, including a path to the secret door._

_"Stop killing people! It was true, that in this game, this blasted Death Game_–_you don't play it! You're living it! If you keep this up, who knows how you'll act once you get back?!"_

The Record Crystal stopped glowing and dropped back down to the desk. The item bag glowed briefly, which I hastily retrieved the mapping data from. I stared at the Record Crystal once more, as if trying to imagine a player standing at the desk. I feigned tears as I looked at the blade in my hands.

These hands of mine... this sword of mine... they've killed numerous people while supporting a false cause. Now was the time to change... if this quest brought me back a green cursor, I would refrain from killing, and set my path with the Clearers.

After all, I have used the information and skills I had gained from the Beta Test for the wrong cause this entire time...


	3. Chapter 3

**Truth and Ideals**

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: «Sword Art Online» does not belong to me. Any elements pertaining to Sword Art Online belong to Reki Kawahara.**

**Anything that does not fall under this categorization belongs to me.**

* * *

Three days later, I was tasked to eliminate yet another player. I exited the Hasag Passage and the Labyrinth and fished a Teleport Crystal from my «Quick-Access Pouch», located within my jacket. "Tele: «Serras»," I said. Serras was the settlement nearest to the 54th Floor Labyrinth and also the Floor where my target was located, but that was all coincidence. I had already set my eyes upon that «quest for orange cursors».

PoH.

He said that killing players for justice was allowed. However, we were just targeting players for their items and Col and for the revenge on behalf of other players. No, that was all false–I was fighting for a lost cause, as well as allowed myself to become deceived...

"O-oi..." I heard a player say, snapping my attention away from my thoughts. "That... that isn't an «orange cursor», isn't it?"

A group of three players, all with green Cursors, was walking away from the Labyrinth. The speaker was wearing heavy armor and carried a warhammer on his back. A second player wore light chainmail and carried a two-handed sword. The third wore leather armor and fancied a spear. From the look of it, they were a formed party... no, the icon next to their «HP» said otherwise: they were party members of the same Guild.

I almost let out a sigh of relief when it wasn't the Guild icon for the one was tasked to kill, not that I would follow through with the request.

"Yeah... that's orange..." said the spear-user. "Certainly not yellow for NPCs, otherwise he'd have at least a «Quest Marker» above his head." I had finally walked past them. "Hey, we don't become orange for attacking orange players, do we?" I heard him whisper. I guess having the minimum 700 points in the «Listening» skill was worth it.

"No... I don't think so. But..."

"He's orange! No one would notice! Besides, if he turns out to be if Laughing Coffin, then we could be heroes!"

"If he's of Laughing Coffin, we're dead players for sure!" a third voice hissed back.

"But we have the preemptive strike here...!"

I grit my teeth and continued walking. If I was going to leave without injuring them in self-defense, I was going to have to make as much distance as possible. I will be «green» soon enough...

Their footsteps stopped, boots crunched against the ground, the squeal of an activating «Sword Skill» started up. In a half-second, I managed to draw Jemmenai from my scabbard and dodged the Two-handed Spear charge-type Sword Skill, «Impale». I swung Jemmenai at the spear, my sword bathed in a purple light...

_Snap._

The One-handed Sword Skill «Snake Bite», despite being a two-hit Skill, only makes one sound effect because of the time in between the two hits–nearly instantaneous. The spear was rent in two, causing surprise to paint itself the spearman's face. After a couple of second of gawking, the handle of the spear in his hands shattered.

"M-m-my spear!" he cried.

His friends viciously circled around me, readying their weapons. They exchanged looks and charged forward at me, but I merely bent down while throwing two paralysis Throwing Picks at them. Both fell to the ground, stunned.

I sighed as I straightened myself. "Fucking PKer..." said the Two-Handed Sword user, "what, you gonna kill us now?!"

I glared at him before turning my gaze to the Labyrinth. I felt the air tense up as they watched me store my blade back into its sheath. "I don't intend to lower your HP, or anyone's HP." I opened my Main Menu and initiated a trade window with the player whose spear I broke, and offered him a several tens of thousands of Col. "Surely this can't be enough to compensate, but it was an act of self-defense. Stay with your friends for five more minutes; the paralysis will wear off by then."

"Aren't you a PKer?" he asked.

I sighed again. I lifted my left hand and removed the gloves by tapping them and pressing the «unequip» function, revealing the tattoo of Laughing Coffin to the players. Their breaths became ragged, but I only reequipped the gloves and walked toward the Labyrinth. "No longer," I said, "no longer..."

* * *

The terrain of the 54th Floor was a plains setting, similar to the road outside the «Starting City» on the 1st Floor of Aincrad. That day, nearly seventeen months ago, had torn people's lives, and Kayaba became known as one of the most successful murderers of the decade. On the first day, even before the tutorial, two hundred lives were lost; in one month, two thousand. A year and a half later... over three thousand seven hundred deaths. Astounding as it sounded, Laughing Coffin and the PKers have only killed around six hundred players total...

"Still some sixteen percent of the dead player-base..." I muttered.

However, could someone merely refrain from killing? Knowing PoH's statement to be false can't possibly be enough...

I looked up to see the entrance of the Labyrinth only several yards before me. It was as if the mercy of the Cardinal System had prevented monsters from crossing my path. I wordlessly entered the dungeon and navigated through the dank corridors toward its 13th floor...

* * *

Twenty battles later, I arrived before the secret door that was directed by the map data from the Message Record Crystal. I felt anxious to open the particular door. How would the NPC act to activate the quest? How would he react to a «Rank 5 orange» player? Would he begin by attacking or berating me?

I looked behind me as I reached toward the intricate markings on the section of Labyrinth wall. I faced the door again, the door's markings flashed and face away into the floor.

However, all of my worries became naught as I beheld that NPC.

The NPC was hanging from the ceiling by a long rope. I entered the secret room, noticing that a nail hammered into the wall held the rope in place. By the looks of the NPC, he was as good as dead... if it weren't for its rather coalesced self rather than a million billion shards of glass.

I tapped the NPC's body to see if it had any output. Sure enough, that was the quest–a window appeared before me showing the quest prompt:

_Would you like to begin the quest: «To Catch a Killer»?_

I tapped the «O» for _accept_, and the NPC's body fell to the ground. I noticed a slip of paper fall from his hand, which I immediately grabbed. I pulled the note from my inventory and read the message inscribed on it. Two words: _"You're next."_

I scanned my surroundings, my hand settling on the Throwing Picks at my belt. After several tense seconds, the NPC flashed and collapsed into pieces. Aside from that, I didn't see anyone or anything even with the passive Detection skill. I warily loosened myself and headed our of the door, and then out of the Labyrinth.

I found myself carrying the note as I walked out from the Labyrinth's 54th Floor entrance. The two words inscribed on it drew my attention away from my surroundings. I became increasingly paranoid, and looking over my shoulder for some NPC Flag Mob. No matter how perceptive I tried to be, it didn't appear. I was completely nerve-wracked.

I approached the city of Serras once again, noticing that one of the guards had a quest checkpoint above its head, denoted by a «!» above its head. I approached the guard and was immediately greeted in the face with the sharp end of his poleaxe. "You're not the kidnapper, aren't ya?" he asked.

"S-somebody d-died i-i-in the L-Labyrinth..." I managed to say. I was very shaken, even though I could deal with a few dozen «Town Guards». They weren't capable of using Sword Skills, but they did deal percent-damage based on maximum HP. But, the reason behind that uncontrollable action was because I was shaken by that note.

The NPC's eyes steeled upon me. "Perhaps you have proof you aren't the killer? You seem to be the kind that has blood on their hands."

"I've been looking forward to leaving that path..." I said softly. I slowly dug my hand into the Quick-Access Pouch and pulled out the note. "Apparently, that killer's looking for me, and somehow watching me..."

The NPC slowly lowered the poleaxe and held out a hand to retrieve the note. After I placed it in his hand, he beckoned me inside the town. "Come then, we shall go to headquarters about this. Follow me."

Follow him... Wait, but that means...!

"Step on it!"

I quickly composed myself and followed after the NPC guard, hesitating at the «Area» barrier. I took a step through the marked point, and a slight rippling effect showed I had entered the safe zone. "We don't have forever," the guard said. "I must return to my post."

I trod after the guard, attracting gazes from the few players that roamed the town. The passive Listening skill picked up their conversations of uneasiness about "an «orange player» in the Area." It was something unheard of, which made me all the more stressed.

"Excuse me," said a soft, yet stern, voice. I turned to the source: a pale-skinned girl whose blue hair, which can be modded through items, reached down to her back. She was dressed in a sleeveless, white combat dress secured by a golden belt at the waist. Black gloves covered her arms from the middle of her upper arms to her hands. A two-handed assault spear was affixed on her back. I focused on her Color Cursor...

"What does the «Divine Dragon Alliance» want to do with a nobody player like me?" I asked. I had no intention on being rude, but the DDA had a reputation for attacking players to get a «Last Attack» bonus drop from various flag mobs, including Floor Bosses. They were almost as bad as the average orange player.

"We do have the outlook that we are a Clearing criminal Guild," the girl said, "but quite a few of our members are mild-natured. Please remove your gloves, please?" I steeled my eyes at her. She seemed no older than 18, which was a year younger than my age. "Three players were attacked out in the field after returning from the Labyrinth... they claim that it was the work of a Laughing Coffin member."

I said nothing, but obliged to her request. "A Laughing Coffin member who allowed attackers to be let off the hook is later found entering the 56th Floor Labyrinth, and finally seen walking through Serras despite his orange cursor." I tapped my gloves to reveal the unequip function, but I only hovered my finger above the command. I finally removed the gloves and held it up for the DDA member to see. "What do you need a Laughing Coffin member for?"

In a sudden movement, the girl grasped my hand as if to see the emblem of the coffin better. My heart skipped a beat, given the two months of social isolation of being affiliated with Laughing Coffin. Now that I thought about it, I planned to get rid of the mark...

"The modification of the avatar is irreversible..." the girl said.

"Eh?"

"As far as I know, modification to the skin aside from the face is an irreversible action. This mark is more of a brand than an emblem."

"I was not yet part of an existing Guild, but I showed promise of joining «KoB»..." Why was I telling her about the Knights of the Blood?

"These brands are probably reserved for those off the assassin or infiltrator role. I suppose you're of the assassin role..."

"Why do you show interest in me?" I queried. "I just can't be intriguing enough just to be studied like a science experiment, can I?" I was dying to complete this quest in order to return to a solo player life and start clearing floors again...

I tugged my hand back, but the girl held fast. "I have a proposal."

"I intend on becoming green again in order to clear floors like a normal Clearer."

"If you can relay information regarding Laughing Coffin to the Clearing Guilds, I can provide a hefty sum of Col. Also, doing so will streamline your 'application' into the Clearing Guilds; many do not have information regarding the Red Guild, not even a core motive." She finally let go of my hand, and I reequipped my gloves.

"«To Catch a Killer»..." I said, "is the name of the quest. I do believe it is a one time per player quest, so..."

"Apparently, «the Rat» has already gathered information about that. There no longer is an NPC posted behind a secret door on the 13th floor of the 56th Floor Labyrinth."

For the third time, my heart skipped a beat. "A... one-time quest..."

"You're the lucky player," she said. "When you pass this checkpoint, you can find me by the entrance toward the Labyrinth. I am interested in hearing your answer." She extended a hand. "My name's Selphie. Pleased to meet you."

I nodded and accepted the handshake. "Kai." I looked over to the path the guard had walked to, and saw him watching me at a distance. "I'll be back." I turned and ambled toward the guard. He had a sort of irritated look on his face, but also a sort of sheepish smile.

"You've drawn quite a crowd," he remarked.

"If they came to hear me beg, they would be disappointed," I said somewhat arrogantly, quoting the line from a somewhat old console video game. The NPC made no answer, but made a confused face. NPCs would make that face when one addresses them with a response that is not within their understanding.

So the NPC merely turned and escorted me to the NPC guardhouse. The interior of the building was cramped with bookshelves and smelled of sweat. The guard navigated through the corridors into an office room. Another NPC guard, outfitted with a cape and carrying a two-handed sword rather than a spear, stood behind a desk. He seemed to be taking a break from going through documents or of the like. The boundary guard approached the captain and set the note on his desk. "Kidnapping and death threat," the guard said. "Aimed toward a former criminal."

"Former?" the captain of the guard queried. His eyes turned to me.

"I have decided to walk the path of the righteous," I answered. "I was tricked into doing things that I now believe to be false." I tried my best to enunciate clearly because of my shaking voice. I wondered why I harbored fear now. I felt it disappear when I was speaking to Selphie...

"A reformed criminal out to catch a killer, ehh?" the captain said, bringing me to my senses. He eyed me critically, as if evaluating a fruit or the make of a weapon. "In short, you don't seem the kind to go out and kill people, but I've learned not to underestimate young ones by their looks." He turned to the note. "But if there's a guy out to get you... I can't say we are glad to have your cooperation. It takes one to know one, you know."

I only smiled lightly. The quest dialogue wasn't too dull, but I only wanted to move on.

"Besides, those person... For similar murders have happened thus. We all think it's connected to the same guy. All murders were linked to a note...

"First of all, you do have a criminal record, so you will be monitored while you're out in the open. Second, we can keep you posted about the situation, so we'll need a name to contact you by..." An input window appeared before me, just like the one during the character creation session when I was still in the Beta Test. I retyped my username into the window and accepted, them looked back at the captain. He nodded in approval.

"Lastly, to give you permission to enter towns, you shall have this to show to guards of any town. However, it is up to them on whether you can enter or not–entering a town without reason is out of the question, though you may enter Serras at any time. As for using the Teleport Gates... a guard will escort you of where you need to go..."

My mind blanked out for a second. I was bring readmitted into Aincrad cities? My mind looked forward to being able to eat in the restaurants rather than black bread every day, sleeping in an inn rather than a farmer-style bed...

"Kai," the captain called, once again bringing me back to reality. "The killer is targeting you, so watch your back. Our scouts are not trained for intensive combat, and would not have expertise in dealing with practiced killers. We shall inform you if we have any leads."

I nodded, very elated, and thanked the NPC captain before heading our of the office. I received the said item, «Town Pass», and stowed it inside the Quick-Access Pouch. I then headed toward the front entrance of the city.

Society has accepted me once more.


	4. Chapter 4

**Truth and Ideals**

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: «Sword Art Online» does not belong to me. Any elements pertaining to Sword Art Online belong to Reki Kawahara.**

**Anything that does not fall under this categorization belongs to me.**

* * *

As I exited the NPC guardhouse, a breeze of crisp air swept through the middle layers of Aincrad. The current coursed through the leaves of the trees, whistling as if welcoming me back as one of the redeemed. I felt liberated from my past, and all would have been well if _that_ mark had been lifted...

The guild tattoo of the Laughing Coffin.

I took my mind off of the permanent avatar mod and walked toward the exit of Serras that started the road toward the Labyrinth. Players nonetheless turned to look at me, changing the calm air into a tense air. In order to cancel their voices, I pulled out the Main Menu and accessed my skills to change my Listening skill. Anything would have sufficed and I ended up equipping the Cooking skill, which was at Level 475 at the moment. The whispering voices disappeared, though my curiosity was unable to tempt me to reactivate my Listening skill.

The blue-haired Selphie was waiting by the gate, seated on the floor and holding a pipe-shaped object to her mouth. My first guess was a clarinet, but those modern-day instruments did not exist in SAO... to my knowledge, that is.

A melody that softly rose and fell induced me to slow my pace. It reminded me of a past song I once enjoyed, perhaps a track from a video game or the instrumental track of an album single. I took a seat several feet away from Selphie, listening to her create music with that instrument. I closed my eyes and turned my head to the sky, as if enjoying the lazy breeze while listening to a background music that NPCs couldn't possibly make.

"Ah—!"

A sharp cry broke the music's trance upon me. Selphie had drawn back, now rising to the kneeling position. Her face was a bright red and she stared at the clenched hands on her thighs.

"You actually play nicely," I commented. "Nothing to be embarrassed about..."

"Be quiet," she said, turning away. I in turn looked away, until she stood up and snapped her fingers at me. "We'll discuss my proposal inside the city. It's near past lunchtime."

"I can pay for myself if you're thinking of treating me," I said, rising to my feet. I dusted off my leather coat with my gloved hands, and the dirt fell away and dissolved into lights. When I turned to look into the town, Selphie had walked quite a ways into the square. Perhaps I had responded incorrectly...

The two of us entered an inn named The Plymouth and secured a table in the corner. Selphie took the seat facing the wall, and so I Saar forth in the seat facing her. In the other occupied tables, I could see a few players pointing at me, possibly discussing my orange cursor once again. An NPC waiter walked up to our table, setting down water and asked for our orders.

"I had taken... consideration... of accepting the offer of exposing Laughing Coffin," I said, bringing my hands together and intertwining my fingers. "Part of the reason why I intend so... I believe it's a way to redeem myself." Selphie was silent, so I continued. "I have ended several lives... to think I was doing these commissioned eliminations for the saddle of justice... it wasn't right. It wasn't justice..."

I waited for Selphie to say something. She opened her mouth, but prompt closed it as if that response was nut the right approach. After a deep breath, she finally spoke: "You will stay in the guild... Laughing Coffin, I mean, for one more week. Any commissions you receive, send us the name of that player before exiting the guild quarters. We will do our best to hide those players. If PoH or the other Red players come after you, teleport away. Message me that you'll be in Serras, and I will be there shortly, bringing the Clearing group with me if need be.

"However, your safety cannot be guaranteed, so preserve yourself at your own discretion." At that, our orders of food had arrived, and we prepared to eat. Almost simultaneously, the two of us put our hands together and uttered "_ittadakimasu_." I turned away when we opened our eyes, trying to assuage the awkwardness generated.

When our plates were cleared, I turned to the window and surveyed the herds of people whispering amongst themselves. How many of them were discussing me? How many were information brokers? How long until PoH figured that I had renounced the guild?

"Kai-san..." Selphie said. I became almost confused when she addressed me, but I realized that she had attached an honorific to my name. A soft smile tugged at my lips as Selphie continued. "How..." She cleared her throat, and her voice seemed to be one that sounded business-oriented. "How is it like being in Laughing Coffin?"

"The beds suck, that's for sure," I said, saying the first thing negative about that guild. "You know what, everything sucks actually. The beds, the food, the «atmosphere»... Having to be one of the higher leveled players..."

"Quite a few of the frontline are almost Level 90," Selphie replied. "I had just turned Level 88 two days ago. Leveling up is hard to do once you're in the higher numbers. In a guild setting, you have to find new hunting grounds and become familiar with the new surroundings."

"Laughing Coffin doesn't seem to be a guild, despite its members and the community referring to it as such. I think of it... more as a business. I'm one of the few who don't kill for fun, so I take all of the commissions sent in by clients... and in one, I found the whereabouts of this quest. 'Don't kill,' it said, 'because it hinders any chance that we can clear the game.'"

I could piece together all of the reasons to believe Kayaba Akihiko from his «tutorial» from the first day the SAO severs started. Death inside the game will yield death in reality. But, if people have died while in-game, wouldn't removing the NerveGear do the same? And if the PKers believe that dying was the get-out-of-jail-free card, why haven't they killed themselves? Did they want to corrupt themselves? Those people would be the most changed should they return, knowing that inner turmoil and or pleasure of ending a life..."

Hearing my own words denounce PoH and the mission of Laughing Coffin from when I first joined, the conviction of ending lives under a fallacy welled up more so than the others. I shielded my face with my hands as tears forced their way out of my eyes.

All this time, Selphie had been attentively listening, and have finally seen me in this state. She could be dense and think I was in complete thought, or not and see how I was truly feeling at the moment. How she would react to the latter, I wouldn't know.

She had done nothing, so I retired from the table and toward the second floor, which housed the living quarters. I paid the amount of Col to book a room, 350 at this particular inn, and walked up the stairs in the back of the restaurant floor. I looked back, and Selphie was still sitting at the table, alone.

* * *

There was a strange quietness to the inn. Back in the Hasag Passage, sounds were only muffled and the growling of the sub-dungeon monsters were enough to keep some awake. But the inn had a safety tied to it—there a few occasions where a guild member would assassinate another member, even just for fun.

"If we are to die in this «Death Game» anyways," PoH had said, "then it is alright to judge and kill people." There were two extra words in that quote, and I had been invited much too late to realize...

For the first time in weeks, I changed into ordinary "casual" clothing, equipment that did not provide defensive bonuses but felt much more comfortable than armors. I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling with my arm on my forehead.

A spy's life.

I was now spying on the most dangerous group of people in Aincrad. If they figured out what I was doing, I would surely be on the run. If I stayed in one place and was spotted by one of the members, the number of pursuants on me would surely multiply. If I was to face PoH or Johnny Black... any executive would surely spell death for me.

I used my other arm to pull the covers up to my neck and closed my eyes to sleep.

* * *

My personal alarm woke me at 4:30 in the morning, which was my appointed time for the prerequisite experience grind, as per the guild's newer hunting grounds on the 58th Floor. Being that I was ranked among the higher-skilled members, I was to use the higher-level hunting grounds. Then again, it shows how skilled, or rather unskilled, the members of Laughing Coffin are.

I rose from the bed but not with the intention of farming for experience points. I walked out of the inn and made my way toward the Teleport Gate. It was still very early in the morning, so I received no stares from the local players. However, at the place where I was going, I was sure that I was not going to be received well.

I laid both feet on the marble platform of the Teleport Gate and looked straight. Taking a deep breath, I uttered the name of my destination for my risky whim for information.

"Teleport: «Starting City»."

* * *

**A/N: If anyone was wondering which song I had in mind (the one Selphie was playing), I was considering _Perfect World - Fly With Me (Instrumental)._**


	5. Chapter 5

**Truth and Ideals**

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: «Sword Art Online» does not belong to me. Any elements pertaining to Sword Art Online belong to Reki Kawahara.**

**Anything that does not fall under this categorization belongs to me.**

* * *

It was still early in the morning, so the sounds of the NPC shops were still muffled. It was still early inn the morning, so every player that still lived here should be asleep. The streetlights were on, still indicating night. I turned around, only to acquiesce at what I saw.

_"Players... I welcome you all to my world."_

A large, faceless GameMaster avatar appeared in the plaza, hovering before the players heads.

That day... was the beginning of the end.

_"The moment your HP reaches 0, your avatar will be lost forever... and your brain will be destroyed by the NerveGear."_

That day, this game became a «Death Game».

Two years after, that day nearing New Year's, PoH claimed that, since SAO has before a Death Game, it was alright to kill people—it was almost doing them a service. If they were only to die later, why couldn't they die now?

PoH's macabre visualization rendered itself within my head, his eyes obscured by the hem of his hood. A tattoo of sorts, or possibly a scar, extended down his left cheek, curving around his fullish lips. He was a tall individual, easily towing over me by half a head. His body was armed with leather armor, topped with the scraps of a cloak to create a vengeful image. He was everything _but_ vengeful.

I scoffed at myself for actually admiring such a man.

I turned to the «Black Iron Palace» where housed the largest guild in Aincrad as well as the monument I was intending to visit. I'm sure, the orange cursor floating above my head would cause attention, and I would be imprisoned on sight if spotted by an «Aincrad Liberation Force» member. I held on to the belief that everyone was either hunting or sleeping.

I boldly approached the Palace, my feet making clacking sounds as I walked across the wooden drawbridge. I stopped for a second and gazed up at the magnificent building. The top of the opened double doors probably reached at least four meters off the ground, while the interior seemed distant enough to be at least seven meters off the ground. What was most magnificent wad the black rectangular stone at the end of this hall, three meters tall and almost ten meters across—the Monument of Life.

The particular room that housed this grand tablet had a lower ceiling than the rest of the Palace. Small windows let in illumination on both sides of the Monument, bathing it in a natural spotlight. At this point, the light was just bright enough to give the room a surreal lighting, compared to when I first entered this room, a month after the start of the Death Game that was SAO, after the defeat of the 1st Floor's boss monster, «Illfang the Kobold Lord». Over 2000 players had perished by then.

I approached the Monument of Life and tapped on the black stone, and a window appeared before me that was an exact copy of the Monument's contents in list form. I searched the crossed out names of the players who had died because of me...

_Frazier: «Falling in midair»._

I had paralyzed him and robbed him of his Crystals; he carried seven Teleport Crystals, eight Recovery Crystals, and four Antidote Crystals. He was a lucky commission, given that he carried such supplies with him. After robbing him, I threw him off the edge of Aincrad, since he had drank an «Absorption Potion» as I robbed him. I had figured that throwing him off of Aincrad's edge was more swift than hacking him bit by bit, and I saved my weapon from a considerable loss of Durability.

_Kitaro: «Full loss duel»._

This was a victim from the famous Sleep PK, and one of the Guild's recommended «green player» kill tactic. However, I was not invited into his party nor was a member of the Guild he belonged to, but chanced upon him sleeping in a dungeon's safe area. The deed was done quickly, and the «green» messengers of the Guild later confirmed his death.

_Helmer: «Continuous Piercing Damage over Time»._

Johnny Black, the small, sadistic Guild member, was always trying new ways to kill people. He had tagged along with me in hopes of showing me "how to have fun." I didn't agree, but I let him come along anyway. As for killing the Helmer and his unfortunate friend, Johnny Black played the «Walk back to town with a Throwing Pick in your hand» game.

I didn't kill them, but rather pointed my sword at them. They neared town, and Helmer's partner made a run for the town. The rule was to "walk and not run," so Johnny threw a paralyzing pick at the guy. Helmer, however, jumped in to intercept the pick but all in vain. He died right as the Throwing Pick neared his body, and the Throwing Pick ended his partner's life as his finger touched the barrier of the «Area»; a terror death. Two names were crossed out with the same timestamp.

_Sellas: «Death by player»_

_Farwell: «Death by player»_

_CoCo: «Death by player»_

The next three were found using the "sort by timestamp" option. They all died on August 24th, starting with Cauls at 12:37AM. Farwell and his wife, CoCo, died two minutes later.

I hung my head down, my eyes aligned with the ground under the small window that showed the contents of the Monument of Life. I rested a hand on the tablet itself, then waved the window away. I took several deep breaths to calm myself and wiped away the tears in my eyes. I checked my faint reflection in the Monument and then turned to leave. As I did, a squad of Army members exited through one of the hallways to the side, and one member of the squad noticed me. His footsteps stopped and slowly raised a finger to his squad to what he saw. I mouthed the words to myself as he called out:

"It's an «Orange cursor»!"

The captain, indicated by the red cape over his shoulder, raised his sword at me and commanded his men to charge forward. Swords, spears, warhammers all rushed toward me in a sea of green uniforms, while I merely raised the One-Handed Sword Jemmenai.

In this situation, I couldn't blame them.

The One-handed Warhammer skill «Crasher» was the first activated skill that reached me. I countered with the low post-motion delay basic skill «Sweep», which was the exact same motion as «Slant» save for a difference in the power. The warhammer was deflected, and then was the Two-handed Sword charge skill «Avalanche». I successfully blocked it too.

I had entered their turf on my own free will.

Two-handed Assault Spear charge skill «Impale», blocked. Two-handed Sword two-consecutive skill «Cross Blade», dodged then deflected. Finally, the last weapon skill was the basic spear skill, «Thrust», which was also turned away.

I wondered, this would be that punishment if my apology didn't reach my five victims.

By this time, the Army members had formed a perimeter around me. Two players sandwiched me from my front and my back, so that I blocked the first hit but was landed with a hit from behind. I felt the air become knocked out of me as the purple «Area» barrier blocked the damage to my HP. Nonetheless, I was shoved forward. As I fell, the spear skill «Rising Air» clipped my chest from below, kicking my avatar into the air. Again, the purple barrier nullified the damage, but failed to absorb the momentum.

I had ultimately brought this upon myself.

"Yi-shaa!" The cry came from the squad's captain, the katana in his hands shining silver. The katana skill «Iai», the katana's ace move of many executions, smashed my avatar to the ground, saved by the purple barrier that forever guarded my HP as long as I was within the «Area». Another merciless message popped into my view, as if reprimanding my avatar for attempting to put a crater the floor of the Palace.

«Immortal Object».

I was not supposed to feel any pain, no matter how much damage was dealt to me at once. However, the brain, even in its isolated state, was able to replicate pain to a very real level. Through the system's ephemeral substitute for pain, a small tingling feeling, the brain could easily simulate pain if the player was fully aware of the damage being inflicted upon him. Thus rose the «systematic stun» status, because of the capabilities of the brain. Either by whim or by fortune, the Army members halted their assault upon me and only stood circling above me like vultures.

The circle opened, revealing two more Army members carrying the «stretcher» item, the only item designed to move other players. It seemed more of a cart or a rolling cot than an actual stretcher, and could be used by only one player. One of the Army members laid a hand on my shoulder, and then tapped the stretcher. By some unknown physics, I was moved onto the stretcher, and carted away from the Monument room.

"Good work, men," the captain said. "Now, to the 70th Floor!" The squad that had captured me exited the Palace, their marching footsteps fading away as I sank into a harmonious darkness.

* * *

So this is what a prison in the Black Iron Palace looks like.

The room was your standard 19th Century jail cell, complete with door and window composed of criss-cross metal bars. The bed, or rather the block of cloth to the wall, was held up by chains. Only one thin blanket was provided for the prisoner. Not that it really mattered, since the climate setting within Starting City is one that is temperate. And, the only discomfort with sleeping is the texture of the material you are sleeping on—you don't get muscle pains in Sword Art Online.

I was lying on the bed, which was surprisingly comfortable despite its appearance. It was better than the makeshift beds in the «Laughing Coffin Guild Headquarters». It almost compared to the bed in the «Plymouth» inn in Serras. I sighed and stared at the ceiling. What else was I to do?

I casually glanced at the clock, which read 9:30AM. So, I had been out for about 5 hours...

"Member of the guild Laughing Coffin, report." An Army member had called into the cell, referring to me. I wordlessly rose from the bed, and up to the door, where two Army members were waiting. Judging by the appearances under their helmets, they looked not much older than I was.

"The Guild Leader requests your presence."

"That was a quick sentence, don't you think?" I asked.

He nor his acquaintance said anything, but the door was unlocked. I stepped out, passing by all of the other players within the cells. Some were sleeping, some were messaging, while some stared out of their windows. "The windows and doors, as well as the standard wall, are Immortal Objects," one of the Army members noted.

We walked out of the prison wing and walked up a numerous number of flights of stairs to a large double door. The Army member knocked on the door and called out, "Guild Leader! We have brought you the detainee!"

"Please enter," a voice called from behind the doors. The voice did not, could not, sound like a person who led the Army, one of the most strict guilds in Aincrad. Rather, it seemed he led either a small or public benefits guild. The doors opened, and I was ushered into the room.

There were quite a few more individuals in the room. The one that caught my eye was the one sitting behind the wooden desk. He carried a pristine air, and all of his features were soft. His hair was starting to gray, but probably because of his real body's outlook over a year-and-a-half prior. The others carried the same face, but they exerted pressure and power.

The two Army members saluted before leaving through the same double doors.

"Greetings, member of Laughing Coffin," said the Guild Leader of the Army. "My name is Thinker, and welcome to the headquarters of the «Aincrad Liberation Force»."

"Kai," I answered. "However—"

Thinker put up a hand as soon as I stared to explain. "All of us here understand the current situation. However, I do wish to introduce to you the persons who are aware of this situation..."

There were two people I knew in the room, aside from Thinker who had just introduced himself. That man was standing to Thinker's left, had slate gray hair, and was dressed in red and white body armor. In his left arm, he held a red and white tower shield with a sword sheathed inside it.

The Guild Leader of the «Knights of the Blood» and the wielder of the «Holy Sword» Unique Skill, Heathcliff. Many know him as a living encyclopedia of SAO, thought he is most famous for bring able to hold off the 35th Floor boss monster alone for ten minutes. Almost all of the player-base admired him, even some from Laughing Coffin. I could vouch that Heathcliff was on PoH's hitlist.

Thinker gestured at the people within the room from my right to left. The first was a man, seemingly in his early twenties, with flaxen hair. He was dressed in light blue heavy armor and carried a curved sword at his side. "The leader of the «Divine Dragon Alliance», Lind-kun." Lind bowed slightly.

The next was probably a person of the same Guild, as he too had the same color scheme to his equipment. However, he had light armor and carried a one-handed sword. "One of DDA's sub-leaders, Chevie-kun." He too bowed and then shook his bowl-cut hair into place.

Thinker paused. "You probably already know sub-leader Selphie-kun," he said. I nodded too confirm his assumption. She was dressed just as I saw her yesterday. It has only just been this short?

Thinker moved on. The next did not belong to DDA, since the colors have turned to that of the Army. The man with hair that looked like a dried cactus sported a light-brown goatee, and carried a short sword at his waist. A shield was slung at his back. His expression was rough, and his arms were crossed. "«ALF» sub-leader, Kibaou-san." He scowled at me.

How rude.

The next was a woman with long silver hair, a rapier slung to her side. Light armor. "ALF vice-leader, as well as my wife, Yulier-san." She bowed lowly, as if to compensate for Kibaou's action.

Now, the left side of the table. Heathcliff was introduced, and he bowed slightly. I could hear the clinks his armor made when he moved. Next was the other familiar figure. She was quite young, the youngest in the entire room. Even without the light armor and the rapier, I couldn't doubt her identity, as the long, chestnut-colored hair was unmistakable, as well as the initial beauty that the player-base continually spoke of. Her nickname was «Flash». "«KoB» vice-leader, Asuna-kun." She bowed slightly lower than Heathcliff.

The last was a young man with a rough expression, shining brown eyes, and black-brown, chin-length hair. He was dressed in a large trench coat with pauldrons and wore a chestguard underneath. At his side was a One-Handed Longsword. His elbows and knees were guarded with pads. "KoB Coordinator of Combat, Voidedicon-kun." He bowed slightly, in the same manner as his superiors did.

"Good morning, everybody," I replied, bowing slightly.

"Selphie-san told us of your decision to relay information about Laughing Coffin. However, I have told her that you needn't return to the guild's location. Instead, you will answer the questions we ask, to your discretion."

"That doesn't seem very binding on my terms."

"We originally intended to apprehend you on the field. The fact that you entered the Palace was only a great coincidence. Also, it is a privilege for us to speak to a member of Laughing Coffin. We wish to respect this meeting." Thinker took a deep breath. "Laughing Coffin... was created on New Year's Eve, when they blatantly murdered a group of players in the field. The leader, PoH, had begun the belief that it was alright for players to kill players. In nearly eight months, they have ended about 700 lives. Can you confirm this?"

"All true. However, there was some form of recruitment drive in July." The guild leaders looked at one another, then turned back on me. "PoH called us 'keepers of justice' and the like. Rather than having these so-called criminals apprehended with a sentence, we were to end their lives with death. I joined the guild after one of these meetings... and that was a few weeks ago."

Thinker nodded. "Tell us of any 'commissions' you have completed," Heathcliff said. His voice was stem, as if he were purely looking for information. I had just recalled them, so it was easy to deliver. Heathcliff nodded, almost amused when I told him of the one that involved Johnny Black and his killing games.

A desperate pounding arose from the door as Lind was about to pose a question. At Thinker's command, the door flew open and in tumbled a girl in a hood. A small dagger was strapped to her waist, while her right hand was armed with a claw. She looked like a little Native American girl, especially with her fade adorned with painted whiskers. Wait...

"Argo-kun," Thinker said. "How very strange of you to come bumbling into my office... it must be urgent...?"

Argo was took several breaths before she became capable of speaking. Her voice was barely decipherable with her trademark nasal congestion. "«LC»... the location... of Laughing Coffin... has been leaked out!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Truth and Ideals**

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: «Sword Art Online» does not belong to me. Any elements pertaining to Sword Art Online belong to Reki Kawahara.**

**Anything that does not fall under this categorization belongs to me.**

* * *

_"This... is probably for the better..."_

All ten of us were crowded around Thinker's desk, listening to the small, teal «Recording Crystal» play its message. The voice was filled with emotion, but from my point of view, it sounded almost unnatural. There was also a nagging in the back of my mind that I had heard this voice once before. After all, it was a member of Laughing Coffin.

_"I've ended way too many lives... telling someone about this would probably lead to my death. But... at least it will stop the killing..._

_"«Laughing Coffin»... its hideout..."_ The message revealed its location. The 5th Floor Labyrinth, through a secret door that led into the Hasag Pass. There, in the back of the sub-dungeon, was the safe area where Laughing Coffin resided.

"I can provide map data," I said, when the message ended. Thinker nodded, and I opened up the «Trade Window» with each of the eight people there.

"Argo," Lind said, "make sure none of this gets out to the public. However, once this crusade had finished, feel free to distribute." Argo nodded, and then held her hand out at me. I raised an eyebrow.

"Payment."

I looked at the leaders, and they didn't bother opening their menus. I sighed and sent a thousand Col to Argo. She was a money-grubbing broker, only doing what she did for the cash. She smiled and took her leave, though not nearly as quickly as she came in.

"It shall take a couple of days to prepare for the crusade," Thinker said. "We have to contact all players on the frontlines. There will be no others that are strong enough to take on the Red Guild." Thinker looked at the leaders gathered around him, and finally at me. He then closed his eyes and put his hands together, then resting his lips on them.

"Selphie-san." The voice was not Thinker's. I glanced at Selphie, who was looking at her guild leader, Lind. "I'll be taking responsibility for my subordinate. This operation has fallen into the hands of the DDA."

* * *

I was admitted in a small room within the Black Iron Palace to stay in until either the crusade was over, or until the «Rank 5 Criminal» quest called for my presence.

Selphie had entered the room earlier and had sat down beside me on the bed. She had her hands together on her lap, and she stared down at her boots. She breathed once and then said aloud, "You are to stay here."

I was surprised at this request. She had suddenly entered my room to tell me to stay out if the fight?

"If you can do this, the guilds will accept you. If you to out there and something happens, you'll be held to blame." She turned and looked away from me. "Besides,what would become of that «relief» quest? The NPC died, so there's no way to restart the quest. I would rather have someone be reformed over no one..."

"Selphie..."

She hurriedly left my room after that, slamming the door behind her. My heart was moving at a terribly fast pace, so I guess it was for the better. I laid there on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

* * *

Selphie actually did not run from Kai's room, but rather stood behind the door with an air of embarrassment. What she said was supposed to be a small request, but it could have hastily turned out as an easily misunderstood situation. Selphie wondered about what she was doing, how these feelings surfaced so quickly.

She only remembered that she pitied Kai for not being able to think positively regarding the deaths he caused as a member if Laughing Coffin. She remembered that she could be a benefit to her guild. She remembered that she wanted to help this person escape from this Death Game, so she could escape too—

Clearing the Death Game.

It was not very strange that her past greatly mimicked that of «Flash» Asuna—suddenly going out into the field and clearing monsters at an incredible speed and becoming a frontliner despite the initial timidness. If this game weren't a Death Game, she would have enjoyed defying the physics of the real world. In SAO, she was in all possible ways stronger than her real self. But, there was a desire to become her real self once more, to be protected by the fabric that was «reality»...

Laughing Coffin was a stumbling block, a hindrance, to all of that. To finally look forward to returning to her reality, she had to clear Laughing Coffin's guild and apprehend every criminal present.

But... would that even be possible?

* * *

"Thirty-four Laughing Coffin members against some hundred-odd Clearers," said an axe-wielder of the DDA. "I'm sorry I can't support my Guild Leader, but it would be impossible to keep the kill-count at zero."

"This isn't some boss fight we're talking about," said Klein of the Fuurinkazan guild. "These are guys without pre-programmed attack patterns, and exponentially more cunning than the usual PvE we're used to."

"He's not referring to Crusader deaths," a member of the Army said, "I want to ask, could any of you kill when the time calls for it? Would you rather kill or be killed?"

Lind was required to take all of these considerations into mind. He wanted to somehow disable all of the Red players and then send them to the Black Iron Palace prison. However, it would be anything but easy.

A black figure rose from out of the crowd and approached the large table at which the mission coordinators were gathered. "Solo player Kirito," he introduced, and then pulled out a strange urn-shaped item. It was a «Mirage Sphere», an item capable of creating a 3-D model of a field, overworld or dungeon. "I would like the map data of the Hasag Pass." Lind wordlessly gave the data to the player, though he was hesitant to share the information with the Beater. Only a few of the people present knew Kirito, but those individuals preferred to keep that incident in the 1st Floor Boss Room forgotten.

Besides, if someone had a «Mirage Sphere», it would greatly help with a visualization that the whole congregation could see and hear, rather than «play telephone».

"This," Kirito started, "is the entrance into Hasag behind a secret door in the 5th Floor Labyrinth. The sub-dungeon is quite large, so we can expect pitfalls, snares, and other traps, just as the overworld of the 5th Floor is. These traps will be made lethal, I'm sure.

"Plus, the sub-dungeon winds back on itself a lot, so we can expect ambushes. However, given that a defection had happened, we can assume that we have the upper hand."

"What of the quota?" asked Asuna. "Are you supporting that we kill the Coffin members, or subdue them to the point that they can no longer fight?"

"The must important factor to our success is to capture all of the Coffin members, _if possible_. Killing them may be necessary, as they are seasoned killers. I doubt they will bat an eye at anyone's avatar breaking down. We must harden our hearts and do the same to them. However, if they succumb to stun or unconsciousness, leave them alone. In that case, a few crusaders shall use stretchers to send them into a Corridor that links to the Black Iron Palace prison quarters."

"As long as they are unable to kill..." Selphie clarified, "then we have competed our objective, correct? Drastic times call for drastic measures?"

"That is correct," Kirito said. He turned to the crowd and called out, "Any concerns?" There was a silence, and then a hand shot up.

"What if the HQ is not within the Hasag Pass? What if the Record Crystal lied to us?"

"The map data was not retrieved from the Record Crystal, but by the Laughing Coffin member that its currently in the custody of the Army," Lind called out. "He was the first to evidently defect from the Red guild, and then came the person that recorded his testimony and revealed Laughing Coffin.

"I have one more proposition! A dangerous one... Who shall confirm, just in case? All masters of the «Hiding» skill are needed! And, those who do not believe they can bring themselves to carry out the death row, leave now! This mission cannot have hesitation!"

In the end, there were five scouts, and fifty of the Clearers were left in the «Crusade against Laughing Coffin».

* * *

The dungeon was drafty, damp, and anything negative that started with a D. "Dark," the Army scout said softly, equipping his «Night-Vision» skill for the «Parry» skill. "Dangerous." Next was the Listening skill, which replaced his «One-Handed Dagger» weapon skill. He was here to scout for the Crusade, and the Hasag Pass was nearing map completion. He was here to look out for Laughing Coffin, not fight. If he was spotted by the Red players, he was to either run or teleport away to safety.

He checked to make sure his Quick-Access Inventory carried the Teleport Crystals and Recovery Crystals needed for survival. At his belt were five Throwing Picks, all tipped with the paralysis poison that was specifically mixed by Laughing Coffin itself. Only upon dealing damage, the Pick would deal paralysis, so it was okay to fiddle with one now.

"Detectable," the Army member said once more, equipping the leather cloak «Reaper Cloth». The item gave the wearer a bonus when used with the Hiding skill, but at the cost of defensive stats. However, it was okay, since even the strongest of the Throwing Pick category, the one dubbed «Dragon's Talon», only dealt at most 8% of the maximum HP. Even with maximum Throwing Pick proficiency, the most should be at least 45% with maximum HP.

"Disadvantageous," the member sighed, raising an «Antipoison» potion and ingesting the viscous fluid. It tasted slightly of grape-flavored medicine, and the Army member shuddered as the bottle broke into fragments. He took a deep breath and looked at the paths before him.

"Done... and entering." He silently thanked the two defected members of Laughing Coffin.

The atmosphere of the Hasag Pass did not differ much from that of the Labyrinth, but it was very much darker. The Army member's scouting skills weren't exactly the best—only his Detection skill was maxed out. However, he could still see and hear things that you wouldn't normally hear in a cave. In the rear recesses of the cave, he thought he could hear someone speaking...

The Army member readied the «Screenshot Crystal». He had been trekking around the Hasag Pass for over thirty minutes, and he was nearing map completion—it was now at 98%.

The Army member looked up. At the edge of his enhanced night vision, he thought he saw something, or someone, walk across his line of sight. There was a slight blue light effect, indicating the level up of a skill.

«Night-Vision» Level up!

The map data made a very soft ringing sound as it indicated 100%. The Army member gaped at his discovery, and then raised his Screenshot Crystal. He officially became the first non-Laughing Coffin member to personally lay eyes on the headquarters of the killing guild.

* * *

The next three days were spent planning on how to storm the headquarters.

By the first day's close, paths were drawn on how the multiple parties could be formed and whether they would enter the fray at different times or as one large group. All of those paths consisted of dodging monster spawns and patrol lines to minimize detection.

On the second day, the roster of the Crusaders was created, which included eight players who could act as tanks, seventeen who acted as sustained damage with spears or polearms, and twenty-five who dealt raw damage with swords or daggers. The «Raid party» was formed at the players' discretion, resulting in the formation of twelve separate parties.

On the third day, people who required few experience points to reach a certain milestone were sent hunting monsters. The rest of the party recapped on the execution of the raid. Later, in the evening when all fifty players were accounted for, Recovery and Heal Crystals and Antipoison potions were distributed, and the guild leader of the DDA Lind spoke to his forty-nine companions regarding the raid.

"Tomorrow..." he started. "we fight. We fight for the safety of the civilians of Aincrad. We fight for the preservation of the goal of competing the Death Game. We fight... so we may be able to return to the real world!

"No matter if we die in battle, our sacrifice shall not be in vain. We die for the cause of competing the game. Aside from our doubt in our own abilities, the only thing hindering our progress is the killing guild, «Laughing Coffin»!"

The congregation raised their weapon or hand into the air and cried battle cries.

Lind unsheathed his sword and called out, "We fight... as one!"

* * *

"We leave at noon tomorrow."

It was past 9:00 PM, and Selphie was seated next to Kai on his bed. The boy was slouched forward, as if in deep thought by the way he stared at the floor.

"I'll be alright," Selphie assured. "I won't die easily."

"That is not what I'm afraid of," Kai said.

"What is it? Please tell me."

"Because this is a game that is now our reality... I wonder what will happen should you finally end a life. Your life will be forever changed, because your hands will be marked with blood." He looked away. "Why am I the one to be telling you this? I'm the one who has the bloodstained hands..." He put them together, and his head hung lower.

Selphie rose from the bed and approached Kai from the front. The boy looked up at her as she stooped down so they were about eye level. "I won't die..." she said. "I certainly won't end their lives. They're human like us. They must know when to quit. They will destroy themselves if they don't."

Kai aimed his sight at floor again. "I'm glad I quit... but the mark stays with you—the one you get for realizing you have ended a life. It isn't so easy to think you can just let go. You need an excuse; a very strong excuse so that you don't drive yourself into a hole." Kai covered his face, and water droplets leaked from between his fingers. His shoulders trembled uncontrollably. "What I... what I believed... was a lie..."

Selphie stared at the boy before her and set her knees on the ground. She saw the scrunched fist resting on his knee, and noted the uncontrollable tremors that wracked his body. After a few breaths, Selphie let go of herself and wrapped her arms around this pitiful ex-Laughing Coffin member.

"I won't die... let me protect you."

The words had rolled off her tongue before she could even realize what she had done.


	7. Chapter 7

**Truth and Ideals**

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: «Sword Art Online» does not belong to me. Any elements pertaining to Sword Art Online belong to Reki Kawahara.**

**Anything that does not fall under this categorization belongs to me.**

* * *

At 11:30AM, the raid party was called to assemble before the Monument of Life. A few final words of encouragement were spoken before the congregation, which included the announcement that the person in charge of the Crusade operation fell into Selphie's hands. There was a brief applause, and the Clearers marched to the Teleport Gate to teleport to the raid settlement of «Dorschia» on the 5th Floor.

Selphie walked with a party of her guild members, which was composed of another spear user, two tank-players, and three damage dealers. The events of last night were still fresh in her mind-she embraced his crying figure and later set his sleeping form in his bed. Her train of thought was always interrupted throughout the trek to the Labyrinth.

"Are you alright, Selphie-sama?" one of her squad members said. "You seem... quite distracted."

"I'm fine," she said, somewhat flustered.

"It's not regarding the renegade «LC» member, is it?"

"I'm worried about what he's going to do later on. He's been only PK-ing until two days ago..." Selphie trailed off as her mind assured with the words she spoke last night.

The foremost group, the group before Selphie's, was able to easily deal with the monsters in the Labyrinth with well-aimed Throwing Picks, at the courtesy of the black-clothed Beater. That boy, Kirito, seemed the most fidgety of the group. Was it anticipation? Revenge? Could that Beater have been a member of the Laughing Coffin as well?

_Impossible. Stop joking yourself._

The Crusaders reached the Hasag Pass after thirty minutes of traveling from Dorschia, and Selphie's party assumed the lead. Each party member brought open their Main Menus and shifted to their «Dungeon Map», which displayed the schematics of the Hasag Pass. Note lines were drawn on the map, signifying the various paths each party was to take.

"Let's go then...!" Selphie uttered, stepping into the newly discovered dungeon, at which its end housed the most dangerous entities of Aincrad.

The distance to the Laughing Coffin headquarters was less than a kilometer away, so walking would only take seven minutes. However, Selphie was determined to end that killing guild, and she picked up the pace into a system-assisted sprint. The other parties followed suit, and the time would be reduced to just two minutes. Moreover, the trip was made easier with the absence of the local monsters.

A green gas exploded before Selphie and her party, causing them to flinch back. By its high level properties, Selphie deduced it was a trap planned by Laughing Coffin. However, they shouldn't know they were coming...

Poison traps and paralysis traps exploded every five seconds around the ranks, occasionally affecting a few members of the group who happened to have low resistances to status conditions. On top of that, people succumbed to the pitfall traps that had spikes in them that whittled away at their HP.

_Why can't my Detection skill pick these things up?_

Soon, the mouth of a cave came into view. Two sofas were visible in the first room, as were some furniture. A figure could be seen sitting on one of the sofas. The members of the Crusade took out their Antipoison potions and reapplied the resistance effects.

"Commence attack!" Selphie ordered, brandishing the spear from her back. The Crusaders let out a battle cry as they charged forward into the Laughing Coffin hideout. Her face was focused on the Laughing Coffin member.

The Laughing Coffin member smiled.

* * *

I had recently woken up and was currently munching on a piece of black bread. The time showed 12:03PM, meaning that if the Crusaders had left at 11:30, they would be nearing the location of Laughing Coffin by now. I silently prayed, despite not being a religious nut, for each of the fifty members' safety. As I opened my eyes, I found myself smiling.

"Thank you... Selphie," I whispered.

I opened my inventory and accessed the memo in which the Crusaders log was recorded. Every action and note they performed was recorded with a timestamp, along with screenshots of the guild's entrance. I hadn't bothered to look upon them, but somehow possessed a sudden whim to.

Wait...

I looked at the pictures that were taken by a scout in the Army. There was no way, was there? I imagined the Crusaders now, looking into a mouth of the cave that welcomed the players with two couches. No... no, this is bad...

I checked my inventory for my Recovery Crystals and other essentials, and made sure Jemmenai was at my side. I rushed to the door and twisted the knob. It wouldn't open.

"Let me out!" I called. I had forgotten that this wasn't an inn, but a building under the control of a guild, so they had complete control over the locking of doors. No matter how I tried, the door would not open.

"It can't be..." I lamented. "A trap..." My eyes darted across the room, finally stopping upon the window. I jumped to it and fiddled with the lock, utilizing the hard-to-train «Picking» skill. I doubted that I could pick a lock within a high-ranking guild, but it yielded nonetheless. I jumped down to the street two stories down and sustained 6% of fall damage to my HP, and I hustled to the Teleport Gate.

"I have to make it on time...! I must make it on time...!"

* * *

"It's showtime...!"

The Crusaders immediately found themselves surrounded by the thirty members of the killing guild. Members in the rear had engaged battle with the multitude of orange players. Selphie tried to gather the forces together, but the attack was much too sudden. _Laughing Coffin knew..._

"Retaliate!" Selphie heard someone say. "If you fight a Green player, have him hit you first!"

"Watch your back!"

"«Switch» out!"

Selphie turned around and raised her spear to repel the arm of a Dagger-user. His head was covered by a cloak, and his eyes sported goggles. Selphie pushed him away and checked his cursor; orange.

The tip of Selphie's spear shone with a green light as she activated the «Rising Air» skill. The weapon hit the Laughing Coffin member in the gut and depleted his HP bar by 20 percent, as well as knocking the target into the air. With the successful knock-up, Selphie allowed the system to overtake her body for an immediate skill connect, the exclusive spear 3-consecutive hit combo skill «Falling Earth».

The first hit struck the Red player in the right shoulder, quickly followed by a second to the opposite shoulder. Both of these attacks hit the target higher into the air, and the third was a downward smash, and a dust cloud flew into the air.

Selphie landed and looked at the Laughing Coffin member's HP bar. It was in the red zone, and he showed no movement of getting up. "Disabled!" Two more Laughing Coffin members were disabled by Selphie's spear, and the Crusaders seemed to be in control of the situation.

Selphie was later engaged in battle with a Katana-user. This time, Selphie jumped back and used the charge-skill «Impale», while the Katana-user reengaged with «Fell Crescent». The Katana-user attacked first, but both parties sustained damage. Selphie glanced at her HP—about 10 percent closer to death. However, the Laughing Coffin member's HP was already in the red zone...

_Yet he can still fight..._

The shattering of a Recovery Crystal interrupted Selphie's concentration, and the Katana-user charged forward with the Katana charge-skill «Tsujikaze». Selphie barely reacted to the Sword Skill and was thrown against the wall. A gasp escaped her mouth on impact.

A cry resided from the other side of the cave, followed by the faint shatter of an in-game death. Somewhere to her right, a member of the clearing group fell to his knees and dropped his sword. Selphie stared at the fleeting polygons and somehow lost all will to fight.

"This... is impossible..."

The Katana-user stalked before her and raised the sword above his head, the blade bathed in a bloody light.

A blue figure tumbled over the Katana-user and dropped to Selphie's side. The member of the DDA put down his warhammer and raised the coral-red Recovery Crystal. "Recover!" The Crystal immediately replenished Selphie's HP to maximum. "Are you alright, Selphie-sama?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Pull yourself together!" A voice cried from elsewhere.

The DDA member suddenly went rigid, and his already-red HP bar depleted. Selphie paused before finally stretching an arm out. Tears began to flood from her eyes.

"Ulrich-san...!"

His eyes darted at Selphie just as the dull beep of the HP reaching zero blared in her ears. There was a faint smile on his face. "Sorry, Selphie-sama." And his avatar lost cohesion and exploded into blue fragments.

_We were losing..._

Something snapped within Selphie's mind as her eyes turned to the Katana-user. The strongest item of the Throwing Pick category, the «Dragon's Talon» and the instrument of Ulrich's death, was in the Coffin member's hand. Selphie slowly rose to her feet, slightly confusing the Katana-user and causing him to pause.

«Impale»!

Selphie and her spear surged forward at the Red player. As she came out of the dash, she stuck out her hand and snatched away the Dragon's Talons from the Coffin member's hand while the Sword Skill repelled the player.

_We cannot lose..._

Selphie stared at the recovering Laughing Coffin member. She stared at the Throwing Picks in her hand.

_"Sorry, Selphie-sama."_

_"Could any if you kill when the time calls for it? Would you rather kill out be killed?"_

_These deaths... cannot be in vain!_

Selphie raised the Dragon's Talon just as the Laughing Coffin member rose from his stupor. He raised the Katana in the pre-motion stance for «Tsujikaze». The throwing pick in Selphie's hand gleamed a bright blue in response to the pre-motion input for «Power Shot». The Katana was wrapped with silver, and the Red player dashed forward as Selphie's new throwing pick sailed through the sky.

The feeling of the dull splash of blood landed on Selphie's face as the Red player's avatar neared her's. Even though Selphie knew it was not blood, but only red light, she could not stop releasing her righteous anger in these criminals...

_For killing innocents...!_

_For hindering the clearing of this game...!_

_For deceiving players into joining your ranks...!_

_For deceiving Kai...!_

Selphie stopped. She finally stopped the rampage that drive her to no longer consider the lives of the Coffin members. She stopped finally to realize what she had done.

Her knees hit the dirt ground and she screamed.

* * *

At a full sprint, I was able to reach the Labyrinth in ten minutes. Arriving at the end of the Hasag Pass would require another three minutes, considering that there were no delays, including monster encounters and backtracks.

I can't be late. I can't be late.

I darted past the flight of stairs to the second level of the Labyrinth, and immediately encountered a horde of trolls. They spotted me and began to activate Sword Skills. I grit my teeth and drew my sword. The Sword Skill «Vorpal Blade» tore through their ranks, and I picked up my sprint with nearly no reduction to my pace. The Hasag Pass was in sight.

Three more minutes.

The sub-dungeon was empty of monsters, so Laughing Coffin must have taken the time to clear the dungeon to set up their ambush. I looked ahead and dodged the forks in the path that all pointed the player to the same location...

I was late.

The familiar armor of the Army, DDA, and KoB were visible with my level of Night-Vision. Those players were seated on the dungeon floor, obviously exhausted from the battle. I slowed from a system-assisted sprint to a walk and scoured my old headquarters. I was the only orange player in the vicinity, but the Clearers did not seem to want to rise. "Twenty-one of Laughing Coffin dead... and eleven of us..." said Voidedicon, when I neared him in the Mess Hall. "Damn the casualties of «PvP»..."

"Where's Selphie?" I asked. Worry had found its way into my voice.

Voidedicon looked around, she saw that she wasn't in this part of the Laughing Coffin hideout. "She's probably deeper inside. I can only account for thirty-two of the thirty-nine remaining Clearers..."

I slowed my pace as I entered deeper within my former headquarters. There were a few players resting with their backs propped against the walls, either tired out or bearing the guilt of killing. I neared what used to be the Mess Hall and spotted KoB vice-leader Asuna taking care of a few of her guildmates and a certain black-clothed Beater. Kirito was a well-heard name within the Laughing Coffin guild, as he was among the highest level players.

"«PoH»... We could not capture or kill him... his name doesn't come up on the casualties list..."

As I exited the Mess Hall, my Listening skill picked up the sobs of a crying person. I traced the sound to the dormitory wing, where sat two players resting by each other. They weren't the source of the sound. It was coming from inside one of the various hollows that the Laughing Coffin members used as bedrooms.

It was coming from mine.

"Selphie," I said. She was knelt before my former bed. The sheets would have been drenched, had the physics of SAO allowed moisture to exist aside from within bodies of water or bathtubs. Her body was trembling uncontrollably.

I didn't know how to approach her. However, she turned and finally noticed me, causing more tears to build up in her eyes. "I... I..." Her mouth was unable to form words. I composed myself and took her into my arms. I placed my right hand upon her head and pulled it toward my shoulder.

"It's over..." I said, trying to comfort her, "it's finally over..."

The initial comment on why Red players killed was because they didn't believe in-game death led to actual death. This belief was put to the extreme when PoH called that the killing of players was deemed appropriate in the setting of a Death Game. Those people, possibly those who were socially displaced or enjoyed tormenting others, were able to cut other players down without feeling guilt. But for the other players who carried no intentions on ending a person's life-though they won't turn orange, they would be forever scarred.

"I... I k-killed them... f-four of them..."

"It's okay..." I replied. " it's all over now. You aren't killing anyone anymore..."

"I... I killed them..."

"Shh... You're alive... and that's all I care about..." I paused to think of what to say next. No words came to mind. I rested my head upon Selphie's, and her small hands gripped at my clothes. She continued to cry in my arms until she could no more.

We stayed in that position for a while longer. I found myself staring at the back of my left hand, which was rested on Selphie's shoulder. My eyes pulled away from it, as I came to the conclusion that my time in the Guild known as Laughing Coffin had finally passed.


End file.
